# How do I get old paint off brass hinges? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 27, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210 "2008-01-27T18:28:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/1 "2008-01-27T18:28:42Z")
Mrs. Piper and I painting a room in our house. The hinges are brass, but have been painted over by the previous owners. Any suggestions for how to get the old paint off, without damaging the brass? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/2 "2008-01-27T18:32:32Z")
I use a pint or two of dichloromethane based paint stripper, from the hardware store. Pour the stuff into a quart jar, or other suitable container, put in the hinges, and let it soak overnight. Once clear of paint, Brasso and steel wool will return the hinges to their original luster. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/3 "2008-01-27T18:42:02Z")
“No, no, you don’t understand! Old Paint and Brass Hinges are my _horses!_” 😃 sorry, couldn’t resist… ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/4 "2008-01-27T21:19:26Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] “No, no, you don’t understand! Old Paint and Brass Hinges are my _horses!_” [/QUOTE] Soaking them in dichloromethane should still work. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/5 "2008-01-27T21:26:23Z")
[You’d need a very big tank.](http://www.ibras.dk/montypython/episode10.htm#8) ---
**Author:** ![Sprockets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@Sprockets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sprockets)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/6 "2008-01-27T23:47:00Z")
[QUOTE=Northern Piper] Mrs. Piper and I painting a room in our house. The hinges are brass, but have been painted over by the previous owners. Any suggestions for how to get the old paint off, without damaging the brass? Thanks. [/QUOTE] If the paint is latex, you should be able to soften it by soaking in water overnight and then peel or scrape it off with a scrubbing pad. Be careful about using anything like steel wool if you don’t want to burnish the metal. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/7 "2008-01-27T23:56:29Z")
Goof Off, from Valspar OR > **[How to Remove Paint from Brass Fixtures (with Pictures) - wikiHow](https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Paint-from-Brass-Fixtures)** > > Brass is a common decorative item in many homes, both old and new. This metal acts as a perfect material for vent covers, window handles and locks, door knobs, candlesticks, and knick knacks. Unfortunately, these pieces may be covered with... ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/8 "2008-01-28T01:44:09Z")
Propane torch plus a well ventilated area. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/9 "2008-01-28T02:02:36Z")
Use a heat gun. They are made for removing non latex paint from wood and metal. You scrap off the hot paint with a metal scraper normally, but a plastic scraper will work if you don’t put it under the heat gun. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/10 "2008-01-28T02:06:57Z")
Do you need to keep the original hinges? I ask this because I started cleaning all of the brass hinges in my house as I replaced doors. It was a pain in the butt and the hinges weren’t really pretty under the paint. Later on, I took one to Home Depot and found an exact match for it for a couple of dollars. I have never tried to clean a hinge since. I simply replace them with new brass hinges. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/11 "2008-01-28T06:29:14Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] “No, no, you don’t understand! Old Paint and Brass Hinges are my _horses!_” 😃 sorry, couldn’t resist… [/QUOTE] Once the paint has been removed, you’ll have a horse of a different color. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/12 "2008-01-28T14:22:00Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats] Once the paint has been removed, you’ll have a horse of a different color. [/QUOTE] Hey, this is GQ, so let’s get serious. No horsing around! ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/13 "2008-01-28T14:29:54Z")
If this is old paint, should avoidance of **lead** poisoning be a consideration in the removal? Would the paint have been applied pre 70s? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/14 "2008-01-28T15:38:23Z")
[QUOTE=Sprockets] If the paint is latex, you should be able to soften it by soaking in water overnight and then peel or scrape it off with a scrubbing pad. Be careful about using anything like steel wool if you don’t want to burnish the metal. [/QUOTE] Similar to this is soaking it overnight in near boiling water. A cheapo crock pot is just right for this. Add a drop or two of soap, and let them cook. You have to take the paint off very fast once you remove it from the water, because it’ll harden back up quickly, but it’s easy to do hinges one at a time. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-old-paint-off-brass-hinges/435210/15 "2008-01-28T17:58:59Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] If this is old paint, should avoidance of **lead** poisoning be a consideration in the removal? Would the paint have been applied pre 70s? [/QUOTE] According to the EPA, target housing (that which is likely to contain lead based paint) is that built prior to 1978. For more information: [Lead | US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/lead)